Swivel-head for drill-pipes.



Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

W. B. WIGLE.

SWIVEL HEAD POR DRILL PIPES.

APPLICATION rILED MAY 5,1914.

d2/n.455@ www@ tg/ THE MORRIS PEYERS C0 FHooALlTNO. WASHING TON. D C.

l SES SWIVEL-HEAD FOR DRILL-PIPES.

Madsen.

Application led May 5, 1914.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, VViLsoN B. VVIGLn, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at Fullerton, in the county of Orange, State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sivivel-lleads for DrilLPipes, of which the following `is a specification.

This invention relates to a swivel head for drill pipes employed in well drilling operations.

It is the object of this invention to provide a rotary swivel head for drilling pipes, in which the wash pipe connection of the swivel head is such as to effectively prevent leakage.

Another object is to provide a swivel head of few parts and so constructed that the use of the threaded connections of parts subjected to the strains imposed by the weight of the drill pipe thereon is obviated, thus eliminating the danger of stripping of such threaded connections, which sometimes results in the dropping of the string of drill I further object is to provide a swivel head and an anti-friction bearing therefor, in which the swivel head may be easily and quickly withdrawn from its bearing and replaced thereon when it is necessary to elevate the swivel head in connecting or discon- 1 necting the drill pipe sections carried thereby.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanving drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the swivel head. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section illustrating the manner of connecting the wash pipe to the swivel head.

More specifically, 5 indicates a swivel head shank which is adapted to be connected at'its lower end to a section of drill pipe in any desired manner not necessary to be here shown. This shank 5 is provided with a longitudinal bore 6 extending throughout its length for the passage of wash water therethrough, the upper end of the bore 6 connecting with a wash pipe 7 which is adapted to be held stationary while the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

Serial No. 836,536.

swivel head rotates therearound. The connection between the swivel head and the wash pipe 7 being such as to prevent leakage, and is constructed as particularly shown in Fig. 3. The bore 6 is enlarged to form a shoulder 8 a suitable distance below its upper end and is again enlarged to form a shoulder 9 intermediate the shoulder 8 and the upper end of the swivel head shank. The wash pipe 7 is formed with a lower end portion 10 having an outside diameter approximately corresponding to the diameter of the bore G and which is de signed to extend into the bore 6 a suitable distance below the shoulder 8. The wash pipe 7 is formed with an enlarged portion 11, which approximately fits the enlarged portion of the bore extending between the shouders 8 and 9; a shoulder 12 being formed at the intersection of the portions 10 and 11 of the wash pipe.

A suitable packing is placed around the lower portion 10 of the wash pipe and bears on the shoulder 8, and interposed between the packing 13 and the shoulder 12 in the wash pipe is a pair of spaced rings 14; forming race-ways for antifriction ball bearings 15 disposed therebetween. The enlarged portion 11 of the wash pipe extends to a point intermediate the shoulder 9 and the upper end of the swivel head shank, and an inwardly extending shoulder 1G is formed at the juncture of the enlarged portion 11 with the upper portion of the drill pipe which is of a less diameter than the enlarged portion 11.

A packing 17 is placed in the space between the enlarged portion 11 of the wash pipe and the wall of the upper enlarged portion of the bore and bears upon the shoulder 9; the upper edge of the packing terminating adjacent the shoulder 1G. A pair of spaced rings 18, between which anti-friction ball bearings 19 are interposed, are disposed above the packing 17; the lower ring 18 being seated on the shoulder 16, to hold the wash pipe from being forced out. An externally threaded sleeve Q0 having a central bore through which the wash pipe 7 extends is threaded in the upper end of the bore G and bears against the top ring 18 to crowd the packings 13 and 17 into close contact with the walls of the bore and the wash pipe to form a tight nonleakable joint and permit of the swivel head being rotated around the wash pipe.

Formed on the swivel head shank 5 integral therewith is an enlarged flange or head 21, the lower face of which extends at right angles to the outer face of the shank 5 and forms a shoulder adapted to seat upon an anti-friction bearing on a carrier 22 by which the swivel head shank is supported. This carrier includes a bearing plate 23 having a central opening 24; to receive the shank 5 and formed with horizontally extending diametrically opposed trunnions 24 on its edge, which connect with a bail 25 adapted to be connected to the supporting cable by which the swivel head may be suspended. lnterposed between the plate 23 'and the flange 21 is an anti-friction bearing of any suitable construction here shown as comprising a lower channeled ring 26 supported on the plate 23 and an upper ring 27 on which the liange 21 seats and between which rings 26 and 27 anti-'friction ball bearings 28 are interposed.

The shank 5 is designed to beheld against upward movement in the plate 23 for which purpose it is provided with an annular channel 29 at a point immediately below the lower face of the plate 23 in which a divided collar 30 secured together at its ends by bolts 31 is mounted; this collar extending over the joint between the shank 5 and the plate 23.

In the application of the invention, the parts are assembled as described, and as shown in Figs. l and 2; the swivel head being suspended from a cable connecting with the bail 25 in the usual manner and the shank 5 engaged with the rotary mechanism by which it is revolved and the wash pipe 7 connected to a pump for forcing water into the drill pipe, as is common in well drilling operations.

The important feature of this invention resides in the fact that the load carried by the shank 5 is transmitted to the bearing plate 23 through the flange 21 and the anti friction .bearing members 26, 27 and 28. The flange 21 being formed integral with the shank 5 obviates the use of threaded connections at this point, as is common in most swivel heads now in use, and thus does away with the possibility of dropping of the drill pipe by the stripping of threads in the swivel head.

Another important feature resides in the ease with which the shank 5 can be drawn from the plate 23 when it is desired to conneet and disconnect the drill pipe section on its lower end. This detachment is effected by` removing the collar 30 which 65 operation only necessitates the removal of the two bolts 31, whereupon the shank 5 can be readily withdrawn from the bearing plate 23.

To facilitate the engagement of the swivel head shank 5 with a suitable hoisting tool by which it is raised from the plate 23 an annular' channel 32 is formed adjacent its upper end which is adapted to receive a split sleeve on the hoisting cable.

lllhat I claim is:

1. A combination swivel head and drill joint, comprising a tubular shank provided with an annular channel, a flange formed on said shank integral therewith, a bearing plate having an aperture to receive the shank, anti-friction bearings interposed between the bearing plate and the flange on the shank, and a removable split collar engaging said annular channel in the shank adjacent to the underside of the bearing plate.

A combination swivel head and drill joint, comprising a shank formed with a longitudinally extending bore therethrough having an enlarged diameter adjacent its upper end to form a shoulder, a wash pipe having an end portion adapted to extend into the bore below the shoulder and having an enlarged portion disposed in the enlarged portion of the bore and formed with a shoulder, a packing interposed between the shoulder on the wash pipe and the shoulder on the bore, a second shoulder in the bore, a packing supported on said shoulder, an inwardly extending shoulder on the wash pipe above said last named shoulder, a ring bearing upon said last named packing and engaging the inwardly extending shoulder, and a sleeve threaded in the upper end of the bore to crowd the packing members against the walls of the bore and the wash pipe to form a non-leakable joint.

3. A combination swivel head and drill joint, comprising a shank formed with a longitudinally extending bore therethrough having an enlarged diameter adjacent its upper end to form a shoulder, a wash pipe having an end portion adapted to extend into the bore below the shoulder and having an enlarged portion disposed in the enlarged portion of the bore and formed with a shoulder, a packing interposed between the shoulder on the wash pipe and the shoulder' on the bore, a second shoulder in the bore, a packing supported on said shoulder, an inwardly extending shoulder on the wash pipe above said last named shoulder, a ring bearing upon said last named packing and engaging the inwardly extending shoulder, a crowding sleeve threaded in the upper end of the bore to crowd the packing members against the channel on the shank immediately below1 10 Walls of the bore and the Wash pipe to form the underside of the bearing plate. a non-leakable joint, and means for support- In Witness that l claim the foregoing I ing the shank including a flange on the have hereunto subscribed my name this 18th 5 shank formed integral therewith, a bearing day of April, 1914.

plate having an aperture through which the WV.' B. WIGLE, shank extends, anti-friction ball bearings Witnesses:

interposed between said plate and iange, MARGUERITE BA'HIS,

and a split collar arranged in an annular MARIE BATTEY.

Goples of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

